Should you cull a chicken away from sight of your flock?

[igorsMistress]

We slaughter outside where the chickens have no access, but I prefer to move the culls in a dog crate early morning while it's dark.

I keep my flock locked up until the killing is done. If not they surround the garden and it makes things more difficult...the culls get all upset.

 

[Compost King]

I try not to kill a chicken in front of other chickens but with my entire back yard occupied now I have only one other option and that is to do it in the dark when the chickens are locked up. My female cat makes sure to get a good seat above the execution. She refuses to eat any scraps but still takes some sort of guilty pleasure in seeing chickens suffer. Cats are Psychopaths anyways.

 

[Morrigan]

We set up our butchering area away from the flock. We pack them down to a holding area early morning the day of harvest. I'm not sure the act of butchering would upset them, but it makes me feel less guilty if I'm not killing a chicken in front of the watchful eyes of other chickens. Also, I'm not keen on having chicken blood all around the chicken yard for fear of it drawing any more predator attention than we already have.

When we had to kill our huge, 6 year old rooster who had started acting strange, we did it at night with the red lamps, right outside the coop with tarping laid down to catch the blood. That was by far the fastest and least traumatic dispatch we have had. I don't think the rooster had even woken up before it was over.

 

[BantyChooks]

It doesn't bother them in the slightest, they're savages. If you toss them hearts and such when you do it, they'll line up at the fence and wait in anticipation.

If they aren't restrained and flap around during death throes, my roosters will come over and fight with the corpse, but other than that, they don't seem to care and certainly enjoy the flesh scraps I toss them.

 

[FortCluck]

I'm going to have to remember to toss my chickens some scraps when we do our meat chickens. My dogs will probably fight them for scraps though. My dogs love chicken legs, hearts, and gizzards. I think it's absolutely disgusting, but it's good for them.

 

[hysop]

Thanks. I keep hearing about successful night culling. I may do that. I’ll definitely post and let everyone know how it goes and if we do do it at night.

 

[Compost King]

Thanks. I keep hearing about successful night culling. I may do that. I’ll definitely post and let everyone know how it goes and if we do do it at night.

One of the benefits is that its cooler. But I have to take the chickens inside for further processing because the light I use attracts insects. Thats the main reason why I do it at night.

 

[Cwestlake]

Hi I have a Red Ranger Hen I just found out she only layed 2 eggs but today the other 3 hens are pecking on her they did this a couple months ago what can I do and does anyone know why the other 3 hens are attacking the Red Ranger again The One Here In The Picture is the Red Ranger

 

[FortCluck]

Hi I have a Red Ranger Hen I just found out she only layed 2 eggs but today the other 3 hens are pecking on her they did this a couple months ago what can I do and does anyone know why the other 3 hens are attacking the Red Ranger again The One Here In The Picture is the Red Ranger

She might be last in the pecking order

 

[Compost King]

I just processed a CX in front of all my various flocks and breeding pens because i was too tired last night at night fall. I had maybe one or 2 chickens freak out but most just acted like it was just a normal day.